By JAY R. GOTERA
MANILA — Even with three key players out, the TNT KaTropa Texters stunned the powerhouse San Miguel Beermen with a smashing 112-103 victory in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Friday night.
The Texters hardly missed the absence of Jayson Castro, Troy Rosario, and Roger Pogoy—who are part of the Gilas Pilipinas squad preparing for the SEABA championship next week—in inflicting SMB’s first loss on the conference.
On the contrary, the Beermen had a rough time playing without reigning MVP June Mar Fajardo, who is also with Gilas.
TNT thus climbed to fourth place in the standings with its sixth win in eight games. SMB dropped to second with a 5-1 win-loss card, allowing Meralco (7-1) to take the top spot. Ginebra is at third with a 4-1 record.
Import Donte Greene came up with monstrous numbers of 41 points and 21 boards to lead the Texters. Kelly Williams also stepped up, finishing with 15 markers.
But it was Larry Fonacier who ensured the victory by nailing two crucial three-pointers that repulsed the Beermen’s furious rally in the endgame. Fonacier finished with 14 points, including four triples.
TNT’s RR Garcia also came up big in his first game for his new team, finishing with 12 markers, three assists, and two boards in 23 minutes off the bench against his former team.
Import Charles Rhodes led SMB with a huge game of 43 points and eight boards in almost 44 minutes, but those numbers were still not enough to keep the Beermen from taking a fall for the first time.
After SMB’s Marcio Lassiter scored on a layup to cut TNT’s lead to two points, 100-98, Fonacier retaliated with a three-pointer.
Arwind Santos kept SMB in the game with a basket, but Fonacier drained another three pointer in the last two minutes to douse the Beermen’s uprising.
Phoenix 84, GlobalPort 72
The Phoenix Fuel Masters came back from an early 15-point deficit to defeat the GlobalPort Batang Pier, 84-72, thus boosting their playoff hopes.
Phoenix improved to a 4-5 card, good for solo eighth place, while GlobalPort suffered its sixth loss in eight games to tie Blackwater for ninth to 10th place.
Both teams missed their top player—Matthew Wright for Phoenix and Terrence Romeo for GlobalPort, who are both with Gilas.
Import Jameel Mckay pumped team-highs of 22 points and 20 boards in 42 minutes.
But the biggest revelation for Phoenix was RJ Jazul who bounced back from a miserable performance in his team’s last game, leading the locals with 21 markers on 8-of-16 shooting, along with four boards, two steals, and one steal in 40 minutes.
Stanley Pringle carried the scoring load for GlobalPort, finishing with a team-high 25 points on top of nine boards, and six assists. Import Malcolm White added 16 markers while Mike Cortez chipped in 12.
NLEX-Mahindra trade: The Floodbuster traded their top local scoring guard Alex Mallari and a 2020 second-round pick for NLEX’s two young forwards Glenn Khobuntin and Eric Camson.
It marked the third time NLEX changed its rroster in this Commissioner’s Cup after acquiring Rabeh Al-Hussaini in a trade with Meralco, and Juami Tiongson from the free agent market.
Game Saturday: Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (4-3) vs Star Hotshots (5-2).
